The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1887-12-16
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
what the Papers and the People Hav,
To say About IL.

what the Papers and the People Have
To Say About IL.
New YORK, December 6.-The Times,
in its editorial on the Presidents message,
says: Mr.. Cleveland has done an act Of
craftsmanship in the best sense. Recog-
nizing great duty, he has performed il
with courage, with firmness and at the
right time; and he has performed it so
that every honest man must see that it
is an honest act. Judged by any Ordina-
ry standard of political cXpediency, the
Presidents act is inexpcdient. He has
forced upon his party an issue as To
which the party is divided, and so divid-
ed that unless the minority yield, IL can
defeat the will of the majority. He has
done this on the eve of national con
test, in which a considerable number of
men of influence in his party have been
urging him 10 avoid this issue, and
threatening him and the party with dis.
astcr if he did not avoid il. On the 9th.
or hand there is nothing in this issue, as
thus presented, by which Mr.. Cleveland
could hope to draw from the Republican
party any votes. Nor this alone, for if
the protcctonist faction in the Demo
cratic party carry out their own desires,
or do what they have continually declared
that they would do, Mr. Cleveland has
done the one thing by which he could
impcril the prospect of his own renom.
nation. 1t places Mr.. Cleveland far
above any Of the leaders to whom the
Republican party has of late lent a hear
ing, and above most of the leaders of his
own party.
The Sun says: lis not q commonplace
document, for il is simple, intelligent and
coherent; and the quality of brcvity is
chiefly due to the fact that all other top
les of National interest are dismissed in
a lump or postponed as inconscquential
in hcPresence Of one problem of supreme
mpUrtance--thc question of tariff revis-
ion. % - declares hat the thcO-
rCtical question n between protection
and free trade is ''cnth.r'v irrelevant"
and yet the most striking and Iu5erretiug
part of his message is devoted precisely
To that sort Of an argument with which
any free trade representative IN Congress.
or any free trade professor in a college
class room, or the author of any free
trade text book of political economy
would begin AN attack upon the theory
of protection. This, we say, is the most
notable fact about the message. Mr. Cicve-
land has never before in public paper
taken sides squarely upon this question.
He has done so now in manner that
leaves room for no misunderstanding. 1t
is bold thing To do, and the President
deserves credit for the plainness of his
speech. Nobody can accuse him of hedg-
ing, or haggling, or juggling with words.
So far does he 20 upon the familiar lines
of free trade speeches in Congress or else
where, that We find him betrayed here
and there, perhaps unconsciOusly, into
an exhibition of slight irritation against
American manufacturers as Il class, al
most as if they were conspirators and
public enemies.
The World says: The admirable mes
sage Of the President has given the Dem
OCratic party what il has long lacked
an issue and leader. The issue is TAX
reform. The leader is the President.
n Ii can hardly be that the President !
has ut this juncture influence enough to
secure the union Of the Democrats in the |
House upon measure Of revenue re-
duCtiOn and tariff reform.
Inc llcrdlu SAYS: ne message - |
nm able, conservative and statcsman-like !
document, which, mike many other
messages, will be read by the people and |
discussed by them. 4 We are glad |
to see that he favors free wool, which |
would give greatly increased and perma-
ncnt prosperity to our great wooden |
industry and enable our manufacturers |
in other branches ut the same time TO /
dispose of large quantities of their pro-
lucts in wool producing counties to the |
benefit of workman in almost |
all branches of American manufacturers.
The message will not please ex-
remists of either side, free traders or
but it will, we believe,
please and satisfy the people at large,
md it puts upon both parties in Congress
he solemn duty to relieve the country
rom "a mnSf GprinuG danger